Jump to content

The Peace Gardens


Sheffield History

Recommended Posts

There are plenty of places in Sheffield that have plaques and information about the location and the Peace Gardens is no exception, and you can find this on the wall at the Town Hall end of the area.

It tells of how the Peace Gardens got it's name..

The pictures of St Paul's church are fascinating for me - and a bit eerie as I grew up with the Peace Gardens being there.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Being new to the forum sorry if I'm repeating what others have said, but did you know that on Trap Lane at Bents Green there's a little row of houses, between the junction with Muskoka Drive and the old part of the lane, which are built of large blocks of stone, with bands of ornamentation along the front. They're built from the stone recovered from the demolition of St. Paul's, hence the decoration. The builder had the contract for demolishing the church and made good use of the stone!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

You repeat all you like, nice to have you here and posting; even we, that have been here a while, don't have a clue what we have posted, or where ! .... or is that just me ? lol

Link to comment
Share on other sites

... but did you know that on Trap Lane at Bents Green there's a little row of houses, between the junction with Muskoka Drive and the old part of the lane, which are built of large blocks of stone, with bands of ornamentation along the front. They're built from the stone recovered from the demolition of St. Paul's, hence the decoration. The builder had the contract for demolishing the church and made good use of the stone!

Any pictorial evidence anyone ? I've read recently about a building that used stone from the Castle, more of that later ...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I took a few photos of the houses at the weekend.

The info about the stone came from one of the present occupants, whose family have lived there since the houses were built. The gate posts are also supposed to be from the church.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Virus

Fantastic info! Thank you!

I think St. Pauls looked good, as much as I like the Peace Gardens I would prefer the church there...

Found this photo on Picture Sheffield:

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=y01848

If you look behind the church you can see the construction of the Town Hall, looked for ages to find a construction photograph so pretty pleased I found one by accident!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Pawson and Brailsford's "Illustrated Guide to Sheffield and Neighbourhood 1862" mentions that Church organ in St Pauls is by the celebrated builder (John) Snetzler. It is one of his best productions, ................There is a mural monument by Chantrey, in St. Paul's Church, not unworthy of the great sculptor's celebrity.

A quick search reveals that Snetzler was one of the C18th greatest organ builders.

I was wondering what happened to both the organ and the mural monument when the church was demolished.

I also want to know what happened to the "occupants" of the churchyard. I believe burials ceased in 1855 - were the remains re-interred and if so where?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was wondering what happened to both the organ and the mural monument when the church was demolished.

I also want to know what happened to the "occupants" of the churchyard. I believe burials ceased in 1855 - were the remains re-interred and if so where?

My Uncle worked on the project, I think it was just before WW2. He told me they had to stack all the headstones along the back wall, but the "residents" were just dug in as it were.

This is not an uncommon practice, many graves are only leased for 25 years and if the family dont renew they just put some one else on top.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My Uncle worked on the project, I think it was just before WW2. He told me they had to stack all the headstones along the back wall, but the "residents" were just dug in as it were.

This is not an uncommon practice, many graves are only leased for 25 years and if the family dont renew they just put some one else on top.

Thank you John - I suspected that this may be the case. No burials had occurred in the churchyard for over 80 years and so given the nature of the site and the circumstances surrounding the demolition, it seems as though they went for the most practical (and economical) means of "disposal". Incidentally I seem to recall that when they were redeveloping the site as part of the Heart of the City project, they could find no trace of St Pauls Church

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The name "Peace Gardens" goes back much further than 1985 - the gardens were called the Peace Gardens when I was growing up in the 1950s. Following the demolition of St Paul's Church in the 1930s, the gardens were laid out at the time when Neville Chamberlain made his "peace in our time" speech after meeting Hitler, and this is the real origin of the name. The council were evidently unaware of this (or chose to ignore it) when they decided on the wording of the plaque. I suppose that, bearing in mind how short-lived Chamberlain's peace was, it was a bit ironic!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here are a couple of quotes from relevant websites:

http://www.oldheeley.org/oldheeleyspecials5.htm

“1938 St. Pauls Church, Pinstone Street was demolished … The site was earmarked for Town Hall extensions, but was temporarily made into a Garden, this was at the time of Munich and the gardens were popularly called the Peace Gardens”.

http://www.sensorytrust.org.uk/information...ce_gardens.html

“The Peace Gardens stand on the former site of St Paul's Church, which was demolished in 1938. They take their name from Neville Chamberlain's declaration of 'peace in our time' from the same year…”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just a bit more on the history of St. Paul's. It was decided Sheffield needed another church on what was then the outskirts of the town, and the foundation stone of St.Paul's was laid on the 28th May 1720, and a year later the new St. Paul's was ready for use. It was made possible by a gift of £1,000 and the promise of £30 a year for the Minister from Robert Downes, a Sheffield goldsmith, in return for him and his heirs having the right to appoint the minister, and it was to be a Chapel of Ease to the Parish Church. The then Vicar of Sheffield objected on the grounds that since it was a Chapel of Ease to his church he had the right to appoint the Minister. At the same time the Patron of the Parish Church, William Jessop, claimed that as such he should automatically be Patron of St. Paul's.

The argument continued for nearly twenty years, during which time the church remained locked and unused. Things were brought to a head in 1739 when Robert Downes threatened to open the church, as he was legally entitled to do, " as a meeting house for Protestant Dissenters".

As a result a compromise was agreed under which the Vicar was to be the Patron, but the first Minister was to be Robert Downes nephew, John Downes.

Once open the church flourished, and oratorios were often performed there. At the height of the 1745 rebellion, John Downes preached a sermon with the wonderful title of "A Popish Prince the Pest of a Protestant People"!

The Parish Church was always dedicated to St Peter and St Paul, or was until the reformation, when it came to be called 'Trinity Church'. When St Paul's opened it quickly became known as 'The New Church', and the Parish Church 'The Old Church'. Since the 19th Century the old name of St Peter and St Paul has been used.

Finally the site of St. Paul's was sold for the sum of £23,504, which went towards an appeal for the building of a new 'Quire and Chancel' at what had become the Cathedral.

(From "Chapters towards a history of the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul, Sheffield" by David Lunn, former Bishop of Sheffield.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Fantastic info! Thank you!

I think St. Pauls looked good, as much as I like the Peace Gardens I would prefer the church there...

Found this photo on Picture Sheffield:

http://www.picturesheffield.com/cgi-bin/pi...ff.refno=y01848

If you look behind the church you can see the construction of the Town Hall, looked for ages to find a construction photograph so pretty pleased I found one by accident!

HI, I suppose this topic as long since been gone but I couldn't resist posting this picture I have at home, As you can see it is a picture of the construction of the town hall, if there is another one anywhere please can you point me the right way. Thanksx

Link to comment
Share on other sites

There are plenty of places in Sheffield that have plaques and information about the location and the Peace Gardens is no exception, and you can find this on the wall at the Town Hall end of the area.

Cheney Row, Peace Gardens.

Died in Spain.

M Aaronberg (Jarama, 2.37)

G Allstop (Ebro, 8.38)

W Brent (Ebro, 8.38)

A Newsum (Cordova, 1.37)

H Tagg (Jarama, 2.37)

F Turnhill (Teruel, 1.38)

Fought in Spain.

J Albaya

A Cooper

T Degnan

T James

J Maiden

R Ryder

C Smith

A Stirling

S Ward

H Windle.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The Bochum Bell, Peace Gardens (top of St. Pauls Parade)

http://www.sheffield.gov.uk/out--about/parks-woodlands--countryside/gardens/the-peace-gardens/the-bochum-bell

The Sheffield City Council web site says that the bell was presented in 1985,

yet the plaque clearly states 1986,

Those duck-eggs at the Council, can't even get the year right .. (he he ))

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Michael Sam

Cheney Row, Peace Gardens.

Died in Spain.

M Aaronberg (Jarama, 2.37)

G Allstop (Ebro, 8.38)

W Brent (Ebro, 8.38)

A Newsum (Cordova, 1.37)

H Tagg (Jarama, 2.37)

F Turnhill (Teruel, 1.38)

Fought in Spain.

J Albaya

A Cooper

T Degnan

T James

J Maiden

R Ryder

C Smith

A Stirling

S Ward

H Windle.

Our dad Sam wild was Commander of the British battalion of the XVth International Brigade. He survived , he lived at Totley in his later years to be near the family and died in Lodge Moor Hospital and his funeral was at Hutcliffe Wood. Our mum Bessie ( Berry) died after him in Nether Edge Hospital

I am Secretary to a local group of the International Brigade Memorial Trust and we are putting on a programme of events in July and an Exhibition , Antifascistas at Sheffield University Jessop West, , to mark the 75th Anniversary of the start of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936 and local men and women who went to Spain.

Please PM me if you have any information or are interested.

Facebook page Spanish Civil War 75th

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Guest Michael Sam

Our dad Sam wild was Commander of the British battalion of the XVth International Brigade. He survived , he lived at Totley in his later years to be near the family and died in Lodge Moor Hospital and his funeral was at Hutcliffe Wood. Our mum Bessie ( Berry) died after him in Nether Edge Hospital

I am Secretary to a local group of the International Brigade Memorial Trust and we are putting on a programme of events in July and an Exhibition , Antifascistas at Sheffield University Jessop West, , to mark the 75th Anniversary of the start of the Spanish Civil War in July 1936 and local men and women who went to Spain.

Please PM me if you have any information or are interested.

Facebook page Spanish Civil War 75th

There is a web page on Sheffield University site , Spain 1936

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Probably because Grant's were available for millennium projects, the old place was looking tatty and full of brown paper bag cider drinkers!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My office window overlooked the formal Peace Gardens….a  place of tranquility but through the 1980s increasingly of police patrols , cider drinking and drunkenness.

I have long since left that place so couldn’t add to the comments about the current manifestation of the Peace Gardens…all I can  say  is that I appreciate the water features.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...